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The Pulse

Healthy Eating Just Got That Much Easier

by Keltcie D. on Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Healthy eating in DC just got that much easier! DC Council has recently voted “Yes” on Workplace Wellness Act (B20-0049), which creates healthier working environments for government employees. Inspired by this current legislation, a local hospital is taking similar proactive steps to meet healthy nutrition standards.

MedStar Georgetown University Hospital (MGUH) took the idea to heart by making healthy vending machine options a part of their everyday workplace. The MGUH Nursing Healthcare Advocacy and Legislative Council set a goal to ensure forty percent of vending machine products will meet healthy criteria. The program has been met with enthusiasm and since May the changes have been systematically implemented. The hospital has even tried to find different ways of promoting healthier options, such as, labeling healthier products with different labels and highlighting new changes in staff newsletters.

Colleen Dudley the Stroke Program Coordinator at MGUH and a member of the DC Stroke Collaborative stated, “I think the Workplace Wellness Act is a great stride in the right direction to improve health in DC. Obesity is a major problem in the US and in the District. Having more healthy options in our vending machines is a visible sign to our patients and visitors that MGUH is committed to wellness and encourages healthy living.”

The Workplace Wellness Act will be implemented in DC government buildings within the next year. This Act requires that all food provided by DC government (and 50 percent of vending machine items) must meet federally recognized health standards. This will better enable people to make healthy eating habits a part of their daily lives by allowing convenient food to also be healthy food.

The American Heart Association supports the Workplace Wellness Act and creating healthier working environments. Learn more about advocating with You’re the Cure and make a real difference by following this link: http://yourethecure.org/aha/advocacy/register.aspx